Transmission-band



H. F. HONS, 1R.

TRANSMISSION BAND.

I APPLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1920. I 1,378,459. Patented May 17,1921.

ZiII BJYCOZ, flaw F Hon/5' J7:

UNITED TRANSMISSION-BAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1'2, 1921..

Application filed. March 15, 1920. Serial No. 365,984.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY FRED Hons, Jr, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of San Francisco, residing at No. 324 Clipper street, in the county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented a new and useful Transmission- Band, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to transmlssion or the like bands and has reference more particularly to an improved, so-called, straining ear for such bands.

As heretofore practised, various schemes have been devised covering alleged improvements in those transmission bands commonly used in Ford automobiles; but these bands are open to objection for various reasons and it is therefore the purpose of the pres ent invention to overcome these many disadvantages and to provide a more practical solution of the problems involved.

According to the preferred embodiment of my invention the same is applicable for use in connection with either one of the three rotating drums, namely, the low speed, reverse, and brake employed in the planetary transmission system of Ford automobiles.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred manner of reducing the invention to practice. In said drawing- Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a transmission band illustrating the application of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the 3 bands showing their relative position as used in connection with Ford transmissions;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view in line 34:

Fig. l;

*ig. 4 is a similar section looking 1n the opposite direction and showlng the cotter pin removed, and Fig. 5 is a detail view in side elevation and partly in section of one of the attaching ears showing the beveled crotch for the same.

Referring now to the drawings in detail: lhe existing novelty 1n the present case is primarily an improvement over the form of band described and claimed of my Letters Patent, issued Nov. 18, 1919, No. 1,322,111. In this patent, I disclose an lmproved form of straining ear, which is substantially the same, considering the idea broadly, as that form of straining ear herein described, but for certain reasons, which I will hereinafter point out, the present embodiment has proven more practicable in reduction to practice.

As above stated, the planetary transmission of a Ford automobile requires the use of 3 rotating drums, namely, a low speed drum, a reverse drum and a drum for the transmission bralre. All three of these drums are incl osed in a transmission casing which is provided with a hand opening normally closed by a plate. Each of the drums identified are encircled by a suitable steel band lined with asbestos or similar material, and each band is further provided with a straining ear at its respective ends which are' made to receive bolts or the like so that the bands may be drawn around their respective drums. Naturally, the lining of these bands becomes defective from wear or other causes and it is necessary to replace the same with new material. in effecting this change it is highly desirable as a saving in time and expense to remove the bands through the hand opening in the transmission casing. To do this, some convenient means must be employed to first remove the straining ears so that the band may be manipulated from around the drums and drawn through the said hand hole.

arious removable ears have been proposed to accomplish the results stated; some of them have employed relatively long bases which are attached to the bands and overlie a considerable length of their circumference. This extra length of base is detrimental to the correct functioning of the bands in that it causes a stiffening of the length of the band prohibiting the same from yieldingly conforming to the shape of the drum.

Other disadvantages arising from the use of the heretofore employed removable ears are that in reality they are not readily removable; they either employ some fastening means which must first be detached before the straining ear can be removed and this attaching means is so inaccessible as to render its use practically prohibitive. It is necessar to obtain the best results that the removable ear be secured to the band in such a manner that there will be no play or wabbling of the ear relative to the band and this is another feature where the existing constructions have failed to meet requirements.

According to my invention, I propose to construct the band per se in any convenient manner. Therefore, we will consider band 1 illustrated in the drawing especially Fig. 1 as representing the brake band as employed in a Ford transmission, the same being constructed with the usual lining 2. For apparent reasons, it is not necessary to provide a removable straining car on each of the brake and reverse gear bands in a Ford transmission, but in the case of the low speed gear I prefer to use a removable ear on both ends of the band.

In Fig. 2 of the drawing, I have illustrated the relative position of the bands as they will appear when in use. For in stance, A represents the reverse gear band, B the low speed gear band, and G the transmission brake band. It will be noticed that all of the bands on one side are provided with removable straining ears while only the low gear bands which are intermediate the other two bands are provided with aremovable straining ear on the opposite end. The reason for arranging the straining ears in this manner is that it is only necessary to remove one of the ears on the reverse and brake bands to take the bands out, whereas in removing the low gear band it is desirable to remove the straining ears on both ends of the band.

In view of these conditions, we will con sider the straining ears 3 and 4 on one end of the brake and reverse gear band as being permanently aflixed thereto by means of rivets or the like 5. These ears are longer than the removable ears, but are constructed along the same lines in that t ey have side flanges such as 6 on both sides of the base portion, with integral up-standing bifurcated lugs 8 providing a U shaped opening 9 made to receive the clamping bolts such as 10 shown in Fig. 1. It is to be noted that the flanges 6 of the bases 7 increase in height toward and merge into the upstanding lugs 8. This is done to strengthen the structure so that the same will be less liable to break should it be a casting.

The removable ears, as statec, are constructed somewhat the same as the permanent ears with the exception of the features which go to make the same more readily removable.

In this connection it should be noted that they are shorter than the permanent ears and are arranged with an opening in the base portion made to receive a stud 11 on the band 1 with attaching pins such as cotter pins 12 engaging the stud 11 by being passed through an opening therein, at an angle to the circumference of the band with the pin thus made to diagonally overlie the base portion of the straining car. In other words, the pin instead of being inserted directly radial of the circumference of the bands, extends from one corner of the ear to a diagonal corner. To accommodate the pin in this manner, one of the flanges (5 is notched as at 13 and to further properly seat the pin and maintain the same in clamping relation relative to the base, the base is provided with a groove such as l t in which the pin is received, (see, for instance, the removable ear on the brake band). The flanges 6 in the removable car, like the flanges in the permanent ear, merge into the lip-standing lugs S for the reasons stated. To take up the strain and to add rigidity to the structure, a second pin such as 15 is provided on the brake band which is adapted to be engaged by a. notched por tion in the front of the removable ear.

An important feature of the present invention resides in inserting the cotter pin at an angle to the circumference of the band for the following reasons:

At this angle it is more accessible to be removed; then, again, it extends diagonally across the base portion and reaches substantially from side to side. This maintains the straining ears rigidly in place and prevents same from moving upward away from the band. lVhen the strain is imposed on the ear the same is exerted on the center thereof, and by having the pin in position as shown the strain is distributed over a greater surface. For instance, should the cotter pin be introduced longitudinally of the base, it would be in a direct line with the pull or strain which would in some instances permit the ear to wabble from side to side, so to speak. This feature, of a diagonal brace which is represented by the cotter pin has proven more satisfactory for the reasons given than the old manner of introducing the pin. Then again by using the groove 14, the cotter pin need not be spread. This, of course, renders the same more easily removed when occasion demands.

To still further render the removal of the straining ears readily possible and particularly the low speed gear ear, or cars, I would further suggest that the crotch. of the opening represented by the lugs 8 be beveled olf as at 16 so that the car may be raised or turned on a pivot, so to speak, the pivot being the point of engagement with stud In this manner it will not be necessary to remove the rod 10, as is necessary in former constructions, as the beveled construction of the crotch will permit the base of the ear to be raised a suilieient distance to disengage the stud 10.

In the heretofore constructed so called removable cars it has been impossible to remove the low speed gear band without first removing the rod 10. The removal of this rod 10 is quite an undertaking as a. connecting pin must first be removed. Of course, I do not limit myself solely to beveling oil? the crotch of any one or both of the low speed gear ears as I may construct other ears likewise should occasion demand.

Attention is also invited to the relatively close position one to the other of the studs 11 and 15. This will add rigidity to the structure and prevent the band from bending at this point when introduced or removed around the drums. Thus the bands will correctly conform to the curvature of the straining ears.

I claim:

A transmission band having a removable straining ear, comprising a relatively short base portion constructed with upwardly extending lugs side flanges increasing in height toward and merging into said lugs, one of said flanges being notched, an opening in the base portion of said straining ear made to receive a stud on the band, an attaching pin engaging said stud at an angle to the circumference of the band and made to diagonally overlie the base portion of the straining ear with one end thereof lying adjacent said notch in the flange, and a groove in the base portion arranged to receive said pin substantially throughout its length.

HENRY FRED HONS, JR. 

